Water-controlled valve



Aug. 18, 1925.

1 J. F. M DOWELL WATER CONTROLLED VALVE Filed Oct. 13, 1923 7 [NVENTOR LIE/ 7 0014490,

ATTORNEYS WITNESSES Z2 QM Patented Aug. 18, 1925.

UNITED STATES i,5Ei-t,55l PATENT @FFICE.

JOHN FRANK MCDOVELL, OF CEDAR GROVE, LOUISIANA.

WATER-CONTROLLED VALVE.

Application filed October 13,1923. Serial No. 668,326.

Controlled Valves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to water controlled valves especially adapted for use in steam boilers.

Briefly stated, an important object of this invention is to provide a valve which is ac tuated by the rise and fall of the level of the water in a steam boiler, so that the water cannot drop below a predetermined level and bring about an explosion and possible loss oflife.

A further and equally important object ofthe invention is to provide a valve which requires absolutely n attention or manual adjustment after once installed.

A further object is to provide an automatic valve of the class described, which is of highly simplified construction, durable in use, and cheap to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved valve,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the valve,

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the valve and the float actuated arm in several different positions,

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the valve closed,

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the valve open,

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view illustrating the stop member for limiting the opening and closing of the valve, and

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view through an alternate form of the invention.

In the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 generally designates a tubular body having one end provided with a threaded attaching portion 6 designed to be connected to the water supply pipe of the boiler. More specifically,

the water pipe from the usual water pump is connected to the body 5 so that water under pressure is supplied to the boiler.

As illustrated in Figure 2, a sleeve or tubular closure 8 is rotatably mounted on the body 5, and is confined between an annular shoulder 10 and a retaining washer 12, the washer 12 being held in position by means of a nut 18 threaded on the reduced terminal portion 15 of the body. It is thus seen that the member 12 not only functions as an annular abutment for the closure8, but also as a washer for the nut 18. The intermediate portions of the body 5 and of the tubular closure 8 are provided with discharge ports 20 andQl respectively, the said ports being adapted for registration to permit of the discharge of water into the boiler.

In carrying out the invention, a float actuated arm 24 is soldered or otherwise secured to the sleeve 8 and a float 26 is secured to the outer portion of the arm so that the rise and fall of the level of the water in the boiler controls the sleeve 8. Therefore, when the level of the water drops below a predetermined point, the valve is opened and additional water is supplied. When the level of the water rises above the prop-er point, the valve is shut off.

The rotation of the sleeve 8 with respect to the body 5 is limited by means of a lug and groove connection 27 between the sleeve 8 and body 5.

An alternate embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 7, wherein the sleeve and the body 61 areprovided' with a plurality I of pairs of ports 62 and 63 adapted for registration with each other so as to bring about the more rapid rise in the level of the water when the valve is open. g

It will be observed that, with the construction shown in Fig. 7, the water passes through oppositely located ports 63 in the body 61, the reactions due to the outward movement of the water being thus balanced. When the valve is closed, thepressure of the water against the inner wall of the outer sleeve 60 is fully balanced so that the ball 26 may be easily raised or lowered in response to the change in the level of the water. Thus the water pressure is uniformly distributed throughout the entire operation of the valve and the valve is sensitive and. easily controlled by the ball float.

will be further noted that when the ports 62 and 63 are in register, the water is permitted to flow readily outward along straight lines, the flow of the water from the interior of the body to the exterior of the valve being entirely unobstructed. Thus when the water drops below a predetermined level the valve is easily opened, and the water can flow into the boiler freely and in large quantities. Inasmuch as the valve serves to maintain the level of the water within a narrow range of variation the life of the boiler is prolonged, and the danger of explosion is practically eliminated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. An automatic valve comprising a tubular body having one end provided with an attaching portion and the other end closed and provided with a threaded stem, a sleeve mounted 011 the body, said body and said sleeve being provided with a pair of radial ports adapted for registration, a float arm rigidly connected to said sleeve and having a float, a washer mounted on said stem and extending beyond the periphery of the body to form an annular abutment for limiting the endwise movement of said sleeve, said body being provided with an annular shoulder engaged by said sleeve, and a nut threaded on said stem and holding said washer in position, there being a limited rotatable connection between the sleeve and said body.

2. An automatic valve comprising in combination a tubular body closed at one end and having means at the other end for connection with a pipe, the said body having therein a plurality of similar radial ports uniformly spaced peripherally, a sleeve litting the exterior of the body and movable angularly thereon and held against endwise movement, the said sleeve having therein a similar plurality of ports adapted to be moved into or out of register with the respective ports in the body so that the said ports in the sleeve and body when in register form straight unobstructed open-ended water passages from the interior of the body directly to the exterior of the valve, and means including a float for turning the sleeve on the body to bring the said sleeve ports into or out of register with the body ports.

JOHN F RANK AICDOVELL. 

